1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of special receptacles in general and in particular to a specialized reusable box construction that is specifically designed to transport tree seedlings.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,265,797; 5,953,858; 4,044,910; and, 6,270,007, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse shipping containers used to transport trees, plants and shrubs.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical collapsible, reusable box construction for shipping trees and shrubs that offers superior drainage and air flow circulation between adjacent stacked boxes.
In the past, young horticultural items were shipped in plastic pots or cardboard boxes which proved to be fairly detrimental to the tender stock being transported. More recently, collapsible and reusable containers have been developed but even these relatively modern approaches suffer from structural and functional inadequacies.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need among shippers of horticultural items for a new and improved collapsible reusable box construction that is simple and easy to assemble and disassemble and which employs a novel locking arrangement between the bottom body and lid of the box construction; and, the provision of such an arrangement is the stated objective of the present invention.